Truck slams into taco stand and injures four on sidewalk in Boyle Heights

A truck slammed into a taco stand in Boyle Heights on Sunday morning. (Los Angeles Times)

Two people were taken to a hospital after a pickup truck slammed into a sidewalk taco stand in Boyle Heights over the weekend, officials said.

The vehicle struck the stand and several pedestrians Sunday morning at Olympic Boulevard and South Soto Street, injuring four people, LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar said. Four people were injured in the crash, and two were taken to a hospital. Officials said all four suffered minor injuries.

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The driver told officers his brakes went out and he did not see the taco stand when he swerved toward the sidewalk to avoid oncoming traffic, according to Moses Castillo, a detective supervisor in LAPD’s Central traffic division.

The driver struck a stopped vehicle before crashing into the taco stand. The man who was preparing food was caught underneath the truck, and passersby helped lift the vehicle off him, Castillo said.

Video of the crash’s aftermath showed tortillas and paper plates scattered on the sidewalk. A red pickup can be seen on the sidewalk near the toppled taco stand.

The driver was not intoxicated, police said, and no one was arrested in the incident.

“We do appreciate that the driver remained at the scene and allowed us to conduct a thorough investigation,” Castillo said. “We have an epidemic of hit-and-runs.”

11:55 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information about the crash from police.